If Martín Maldonado plays 90 or more games this season, a vesting option activates for the 2023 season. While 13 games away, the Houston Astros are supportive of Maldonado returning for his fourth full season, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston.
The team option is worth $4 million but becomes $5 million once Maldonado plays his 90th game. The Astros also have a $500,000 buyout option. And as the 35-year-old approaches the threshold, he is coming off his best offensive month of the season slashing .254/.315/.537 with five home runs.
The Astros have three catchers on the 40-man roster presently, with Jason Castro and Korey Lee backing up Maldonado. This offseason, Castro enters free agency while Houston will most certainly protect Triple-A backstop Yainer Diaz from the Rule 5 Draft.
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